System and method for enhancing the inductive coupling between a hearing aid operating in telecoil mode and a communication device

ABSTRACT

A method and system to optimize the relative position of an inductive field of a hearing aid compatible device and a telecoil of a hearing assistive device, are provided. A Steerable Hearing Aid Compatible Device (SHAD) has a steerable inductive field for locating an inductive field in accordance with the location of a telecoil in the hearing assistive device. A Telecoil Hearing Assistive Device (THAD) has a telecoil and telecoil orientation tag. The location of the telecoil of the THAD is determined with respect to a reference system and this telecoil location information is stored on the telecoil orientation tag as Telecoil Location Information (TLI) and provided to the SHAD. In an exemplary embodiment the telecoil orientation tag may be an RFID tag that is read by a tag reader of the SHAD. The SHAD receives the TLI and generates an inductive field in accordance with the TLI, such as a position that is parallel to the telecoil of the THAD.

This application claims priority to and is a division of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/648,313, filed Oct. 10, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.8,837,759, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/854,231, filed Aug. 11, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,300,865, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/201,557, filed Aug.11, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,783,067.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods used forcontrolling the characteristics of a Hearing Aid Compatible Device(HACD), such as a cellular telephone, radio, or electronic file player.More specifically, the present invention is directed to enhancing theinductive coupling between an HACD and a hearing aid in telecoil mode byadjusting the location and orientation of a generated inductive field inresponse to the location and orientation of the telecoil of the hearingaid.

BACKGROUND

Hearing aids typically use a microphone and an amplifier to receive andamplify sound. But this arrangement can result in feedback when atelephone earpiece is placed up to the wearer's ear. Thus, hearing aidsfrequently come with an alternate input device referred to as a“telecoil” and a means to switch the hearing aid from a microphone modeto a telecoil mode, or a combination microphone/telecoil mode.

A hearing aid telecoil is an induction coil that typically consists of arod encircled by turns of a copper wire. When placed in a varyingmagnetic field, an alternating current is induced in the wire so thatthe telecoil may receive the electrical audio signal from an inductivefield emitted from a HACD, such as a telephone. Thus, a user can pick upthe sound by coupling the telecoil to an inductive field, therebybypassing background noise and preventing feedback associated with asound wave signal.

Unfortunately, a telecoil may also pick up unwanted electromagneticinterference (EMI) from a variety of sources, such as powertransformers, fluorescent lighting, trains and digital wirelesstelephones. Interference from digital wireless phones is of particularconcern given the explosion in the use of such devices and the varietyof EMI associated with their use, such as that caused by radio frequency(RF) emissions, display backlighting, display strobing, and processornoise.

The strength of the electrical current induced in a hearing aid telecoilis dependent on the strength of the magnetic field and the relativeposition of the telecoil with respect to the inductive field generatedby the HACD. Maximum inductive coupling is created when theelectromagnetic field created by the HACD is parallel to the hearing aidtelecoil and minimum inductive coupling occurs when the electromagneticfield is orthogonal to the telecoil. Thus, it is desirable to orient theinductive field parallel to the telecoil when coupling a hearing aid andHACD.

Because it is often difficult for a hearing aid user to obtain theproper relative positioning between the HACD and the hearing aidtelecoil, users are often compelled to reorient the HACD in an effort tofind a “hot spot” where the inductive field of the HACD is relativelyparallel to the telecoil. This often results in a position of the devicethat is not only uncomfortable but not optimal for the device operation.

Further complicating the matter is that during the hearing aidmanufacturing process, the telecoil is subject to reorientation orshifting. For example, in-the-canal (ITC) and completely-in-the-canal(CIC) hearing aids are manufactured using techniques that allow most orall of the hearing aid electronics to be molded into a unit that fitsinto the ear canal, whereby the telecoil can wind up in virtually anyposition. Thus, the telecoil orientation may be different even betweentwo hearing aids that are produced by the same manufacturer.

Thus, there is a need for a system and method for optimizing theinductive coupling between an HACD and a telecoil of a hearing aid wornby a user without the user having to reorient the HACD.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves the aforementioned problems, and others, byoptimizing the relative position of the inductive field of a hearing aidcompatible device and a telecoil of a hearing aid to provide aneffective coupling of the generated inductive field with the hearing aidtelecoil.

In exemplary embodiments, the systems and methods described herein aredirected to controlling the inductive field created by a Hearing AidCompatible (HAG) device based on the orientation and location of atelecoil of a hearing aid with which it communicates. One embodiment ofa system claimed herein includes a Steerable Hearing Aid CompatibleDevice (SHAD) and a Tagged Hearing Assistive Device (THAD). As taughtherein, the THAD may provide information regarding the location andorientation of a telecoil within the THAD. As also taught herein, a SHADis any electronic device capable of steering an emitted or transmittedinductive field in response to the orientation of a telecoil of aHearing Assistive Device (HAD) including a hearing aid. By way ofexample and not limitation, SHADs may include wireless devices, radios,electronic file players, and electronic signal transmitters of allkinds, including those in communication with devices capable oftransmitting to multiple individuals, headsets, ear buds,telecommunication devices of all types, and the like. Further, a SHAD isconfigured to interface with and operate in response to the particularattributes of a THAD, or in response to the absence thereof.

In one embodiment, a THAD worn by or associated with a hearing impaireduser is interrogated or read by the SHAD to determine the TelecoilLocation and orientation Information (TLI). It is contemplated that thephrase “location and orientation information” refers to informationdefining the three dimensional location of a telecoil such that itsposition and orientation can be determined. Here the TLI may be storedon a Telecoil Orientation Tag (TOT) such as an RFID tag or similardevice, which may be integral to the THAD. In some embodiments, morethan one THAD may be worn, such as when a user requires a THAD for eachear. TLI may include the location and orientation of a telecoil within aTHAD, such as the coordinates of the telecoil in a predeterminedreference system, such as the x, y, z coordinates of a Cartesiancoordinate system. In other embodiments, any suitable reference systemmay be used.

Exemplary embodiments of apparatuses and systems that incorporate a SHADare taught herein. In one embodiment, the SHAD is in the form of awireless communication device (WCD) such as, but not limited to, ashortwave radio, walkie-talkie, cellular telephone, and the like. There,the SHAD may comprise a TLI Reader for interrogating, reading, orotherwise communicating with a THAD, and may further comprise areceiver, processor, amplifier, sensor steerable inductor array, andmemory coupled to the processor. The memory may store informationregarding various aspects of the SHAD or the THAD. Other embodiments mayfurther comprise an antenna, an analog to digital converter incommunication with the receiver and processor, and a digital to analogconverter in communication with the processor and amplifier. Inoperation, the WCD delivers a sound signal to a user via an inductivefield generated according to the parameters provided by the TLI.

In another exemplary embodiment, a SHAD forms a Steerable TelecoilModule (STM). There the SHAD comprises a signal source in communicationwith a module, the module comprising a TLI Reader for interrogating,reading, or otherwise communicating with a sensor (such as a TOT), aprocessor, an amplifier, a memory in communication with the sensor andprocessor, and a steerable inductor. By way of example, a signal sourceis any electronic device comprising a receiver, database, processor, orcomputer readable medium configured to transmit, emit, or otherwiseprocess an audio signal. In operation, the STM retrieves informationrelated to the location and orientation of a telecoil in a device withwhich the STM will communicate, and creates an inductive field fordelivering the audio signal to the device, orienting the inductive fieldaccording to the location and orientation of the telecoil for optimalcoupling.

In an exemplary method, the SHAD may work in a non-enhanced mode when itis not in communication with a THAD, thereby allowing the inductivefield created by the SHAD to be oriented in a standard or defaultorientation, such as an orientation that is appropriate for the typicalposition of a telecoil of a hearing aid when the hearing aid is worn bya user. When the SHAD is activated, such as by an automated proximityactivation device, interrogation, or manual switching, it detects thepresence of the THAD, interrogates the TOT and obtains the TLI and inresponse, generates and positions an inductive field in accordance withthe TLI. If the user moves the SHAD from a THAD in one ear to a secondTHAD in the other ear, the TLI associated with the second THAD could bedetected and in response the SHAD could provide a desired inductivefield for the second THAD. The SHAD may likewise reconfigure itself to ahearing aid of other users fitted with a THAD.

Exemplary embodiments of methods that incorporate a SHAD are taughtherein. In one exemplary embodiment, the orienting of the inductivefield is activated in response to a communication from the TOT,including the transfer of the TLI stored on the TOT. In response toreceiving the TLI, the SHAD operates in an enhanced mode, orienting theinductive field according to the TLI parameters.

Another exemplary embodiment of a method incorporates a SHAD that canswitch to a non-enhanced mode. There, the orienting of the inductivefield of the SHAD is activated in response to a communication from theTOT, including the transfer of the TLI stored on the TOT. In response toreceiving the TLI, the SHAD operates in an enhanced mode, orienting theinductive field according to the TLI parameters. During enhanced modeoperation, the SHAD may switch to a non-enhanced mode when the TOT isbeyond communication range, such as when no response is received from aninterrogation signal of the TOT Reader of the SHAD, such as when a userwearing a THAD walks away from a stationary SHAD. Thus, a SHAD mayoperate between enhanced and non-enhanced modes, depending on whether itis in communication with a TOT.

An additional exemplary embodiment of a method incorporates a SHAD thatcan switch between multiple enhanced modes. There, the orienting of theinductive field of the SHAD is activated in response to a communicationfrom the TOT, including the transfer of a first TLI stored on a firstTOT. In response to receiving the first TLI, the SHAD operates in afirst enhanced mode, orienting the inductive field of the SHAD accordingto the first TLI parameters. During that enhanced mode of operation theSHAD may switch to a second enhanced mode operation in response to acommunication from a second TOT, such as when a user wearing a first TOTpasses a SHAD to a second ear associated with a second TOT. Accordingly,a SHAD may operate between as many different enhanced modes as it is incommunication with different TOTs.

The invention also includes a means for orienting the magnetic field ofthe SHAD to match the orientation of a telecoil contained in the THAD.In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of orthogonally positionedtelecoils are provided and the phase of the signals to each of thetelecoils is manipulated to create a steerable composite inductivefield, which may be located in accordance with the location andorientation of the telecoil provided by the TLI. In another embodiment,a plurality of orthogonally positioned telecoils is provided and theamplitude of signals to each of the telecoils is manipulated to create asteerable composite field.

According to another aspect of the invention, a THAD is provided whichincludes a TOT having TLI. In an exemplary embodiment, the THAD is ahearing aid having a telecoil, the TOT is an RFID tag or similartransponder, and the TLI is the coordinates of the telecoil in apredetermined coordinate system. Those skilled in the art will recognizethat and that, to avoid interfering with others hearing devices, shortrange FRID taps are preferred in hearing aid applications. The RFID tagmay be active or passive.

According to another aspect of the invention a SHAD includes a TOTReader for communicating information with the TOT, such as receivingdata from the TOT such as the TLI, and a processor communicativelycoupled to the TOT Reader for analyzing the TLI and causing thetelecoils to create the desired inductive field. In some embodiments, amemory in communication with a processor may store one or more TLIcoordinates, which are then selectively available by the user.

In another aspect of the invention, a system is established forproviding the ability to determine the relative position of a telecoilin a hearing aid worn by a user and an inductive field created by a SHADbeing used by a user. In an exemplary embodiment, a first referencesystem is created for the THAD, a second reference system is created forthe SHAD, and these two reference systems are coordinated to a standardpoint. The coordinates of the location of the telecoil within a THAD maythen be measured as coordinates in a predefined three dimensionalreference system and stored on the THAD. These coordinates may then beretrieved by the SHAD and used to orient an inductive field to optimizethe coupling between the inductive field and the telecoil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an Enhanced Inductive HearingAssistive System (EIHAS) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 2A-2B are a flowchart illustrating a method in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of certain functional elements of the receivepath of a wireless device including an Inductive Enhancing HearingAssistive Device (IEHAD) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an Inductive EnhancingHearing Assistive Module (IEHAM) in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an array of telecoils for steering an inductivefield of a hearing aid compatible device in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a system for orienting the inductive field of ahearing aid compatible device in accordance with an exemplary embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a system for orienting the inductive field of ahearing aid compatible device in accordance with an exemplary embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a THAD in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows an overhead view of a user having a right ear hearing aidand a left ear hearing aid showing predetermined reference systems inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a SHAD and a SHAD reference systemin accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 shows an overhead view of a user using a SHAD proximate the leftear in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, the systems and methods described herein aredirected to generating and positioning an inductive field generated by aHearing Aid Compatible Device (HACD) in accordance with the location andorientation of a telecoil of a Hearing Assistive Device (HAD), such as ahearing aid. By applying what is taught herein to HACDs, such a devicecan automatically configure its inductive field to the specific telecoilarrangement of a hearing aid.

As required, exemplary embodiments of the present invention aredisclosed herein. These exemplary embodiments are, however, justthat—examples, that may be embodied in many various and alternativeforms. The figures are not to scale and some features may be exaggeratedor minimized to show details of particular elements, while relatedelements may have been eliminated to prevent obscuring novel aspects.Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed hereinare not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto variously employ the present invention. For purposes of teaching andnot limitation, the illustrated embodiments are directed to acommunication device in the form of a cellular telephone.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent likeelements throughout, FIG. 1 illustrates a hearing impaired userinteracting with an Enhanced Inductive Hearing Assistive System (EIHAS)100. The illustrated EIHAS 100 comprises a Steerable Hearing AidCompatible Device (SHAD) 110 having a steerable inductive field, and aTelecoiled Hearing Assistive Device (THAD) 120 having a telecoil. Asdescribed in detail below, the SHAD 110 creates an inductive field forcommunicating with the THAD 120 in accordance with the location andorientation of the telecoil within the THAD 120. The illustrated SHAD110 is a cellular telephone, although it could be any potentiallyinterfering device, including, a short-wave radio, walkie-talkie, andthe like.

The illustrated THAD 120 is in the form of a hearing aid that includes aRFID tag. As understood by those skilled in the art, RFID tags areavailable in many variations and forms, including active, passive,semi-passive, and chipless. One purpose of a RFID tag is to storeinformation, such as information related to the hearing aid, which maybe accessed or retrieved upon demand. One type of information related tothe hearing aid that may be stored on a RFID for future access and use,includes information regarding the location of the telecoil within thehearing aid. By location it is meant location in one or more dimensionsso as to include the orientation of the telecoil.

Here, the RFID tag imbedded in the illustrated THAD 120 is a passive,read-only tag. Passive tags are not self-powered and are activated,typically, only upon interaction with an RFID reader. As understood bythose skilled in the art, when radio waves from a reader reach amicrochip antenna, the energy from those waves is converted by theantenna into electricity, which is used to power up the microchip in theRFID tag. The tag is then able to send back information stored on themicrochip. Here also, for the purposes of teaching and not limitation,the information stored on the microchip of the passive tag in the THAD120 is related to the THAD telecoil characteristics including thetelecoil location and orientation, that is, the THAD's Telecoil LocationInformation (TLI). Embodiments of the EIHAS 100 may include anyvariation of RFID tag embodied in a THAD 120. In alternativeembodiments, the RFID tag is active, or is powered by an external powersource, such as a rechargeable battery in a cellular telephone.

Embodiments of the EIHAS 100 may include any variation of an audioequipped communication device. Here, the illustrated SHAD 110 is a cellphone, but as understood by those skilled in the art, a SHAD 110comprises any audio device adapted to transmit a steerable inductivefield for coupling with a hearing aid telecoil, such as speakers,radios, televisions, telephones, computers, personal digital assistants,wireless communications devices, record or disc or tape or CD or DVDplayers of all types, audio file decoders such as, but not limited to,MP3 players, devices equipped with speech recognition software,headphones, headsets, or parts thereof, and the like.

As described in greater detail herein, the SHAD 110 may be equipped withapparatus that receives and processes information stored in andtransmitted by the THAD 120, such as the location and orientation of thetelecoil within the THAD. Prior to discussing the apparatus regardingthe SHAD 110 and THAD 120, the methods of operation directed to variousembodiments of a EIHAS 100 will now be explained.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a flowchart directed to various embodiments of thepresent invention. For the purpose of teaching and not of limitation,embodiments of the EIHAS 100 will be explained in terms of variations oftwo modes: a non-enhanced mode and an enhanced mode. The non-enhancedmode does not include reorienting the inductive field created by theSHAD 110 in response to the telecoil location and orientation of aparticular THAD 120. In other words, although an inductive mode of aSHAD 110 may be activated, the SHAD 110 operates in a non-enhanced modeby not reorienting the inductive field in response to the THAD specificinformation, such as a THAD's TLI. The enhanced mode includesreorienting the inductive field of the SHAD 110 in response to THADspecific information, such as the location and orientation of thetelecoil within a THAD 120. In other words, a THAD 120 may activate aSHAD 110, and in response the SHAD 110 operates in the enhanced mode byreorienting the inductive field generated by the SHAD 110 in response toTHAD specific information, such as a hearing aid's TLI.

Operation of an EIHAS 100 begins with the step of initiating theinduction communication mode 202 of the SHAD 110. In the case of theillustrated hearing aid compatible cell phone, this step may be executedmanually by simply pressing a switch. Alternatively, this step may beexecuted automatically such as by presence or proximity activationsystems activated by various means for presence activation, such as butnot limited to, a magnet; a pre-determined light source such as, but notlimited to, a laser, LED, ultra-violet, or infra-red light; apredetermined sound signal or frequency; a Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) device; any other type of sensor; and the like.

With the SHAD 110 inductive communication mode activated, itperiodically broadcasts an interrogation signal 204, for example atintervals of seconds or milliseconds, intended to be received by an RFIDtag of a THAD 120. Alternative embodiments may broadcast theinterrogation signal 204 while in a sleep or resting condition. Asunderstood by those skilled in the art, a means for presence activationsuch as an RFID tag imbedded in the THAD 120 may be placed proximate tothe SHAD 110, that is, within the reader field, to receive theinterrogation signal 204 via the RFID tag's antenna. That signal energymay be converted by the antenna into electricity that can power up thechip in the RFID tag. The RFID tag is then able to send back storedinformation, such as a device's TLI to the SHAD 110.

As shown in FIG. 2A, if there is no response signal 206 from the THAD120, the SHAD 110 may operate in the non-enhanced mode 208 until theuser terminates use 210 and ends activation 212. In the case of theillustrated cell phone, ending activation may include pressing the OFFor HANG UP button located on the typical cell phone or pressing a switchto switch out of inductive mode. But while in the non-enhanced mode 208and prior to ending 212, the SHAD 110 may continue to periodicallybroadcast the interrogation signal 204 in search of a response from aTHAD 120 within the reader field. One reason for the periodic broadcastof an interrogation signal 204 is to provide for the situation wherein aSHAD 110 currently operated in non-enhanced without a corresponding THAD120 is passed to a user with a THAD 120 and corresponding TLI. A similarsituation may arise when a user switches the phone from one ear toanother. In those situations, it may be preferred that the SHAD 110switch between the enhanced and non-enhanced modes.

Continuing with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, if there is a responsesignal from a THAD 120, before or during the operation of thenon-enhanced mode, the SHAD 110 receives that signal 214. In theillustrated embodiment, the step of receiving the signal 206 includesreceiving a signal that comprises the TLI 214, in preparation ofoperating in the enhanced mode. The TLI may contain location andorientation information about the telecoil in the THAD 120, such ascoordinates of the THAD telecoil in a predetermined reference system.The TLI may also include additional information such as the type, make,and model of the THAD 120. As will be understood by one of skill in theart, corresponding additional information may be stored on the SHAD 110and retrieved by the SHAD 110, such information provided by a THAD 120or loaded into the SHAD 110 separately. For example, the typicalorientation of the THAD 120 in a user's ear may be stored in the SHAD110 and used in conjunction with the TLI provided from the THAD 120 increating an inductive field as discussed more fully below.

Upon receiving, retrieving, uploading, or otherwise accessing the TLI214, the SHAD 110 processes the TLI information and orients theinductive field 216 in accordance with the TU. For example, a processoranalyzes the TLI information and determines a desired location andorientation for an inductive field in order to effectively couple withthe telecoil of the THAD 120. The processor may then steer the inductivefield to the desired orientation such as by manipulating inputs to aplurality of orthogonally placed telecoils of the SHAD 110.

After orienting the inductive field 216, the SHAD 110 operates in theenhanced mode 218. While operating in enhanced mode, the SHAD 110periodically broadcasts an interrogation signal 220 in a manner asexplained above with regard to the step of broadcasting 204. If theenhanced mode interrogation signal 220 yields the same response signal206 as the immediately previous enhanced mode interrogation signal 204,the SHAD 110 may continue to operate in the enhanced mode 218 until theuser decides to terminate use 224 and end activation 226. However, ifthe enhanced mode interrogation signal 220 does not yield the sameresponse signal 222 as the immediately previous enhanced modeinterrogation signal 220, but yields a different response 228, the SHAD110 may automatically switch to non-enhanced mode or to a differentenhanced mode.

In the situation where the enhanced mode interrogation signal 220 yieldsno response, such as may happen when a user moves the SHAD 110 away froman ear having a THAD 120 and a corresponding TLI to a different earwithout a THAD (FIG. 1), thus removing the THAD 120 from the readerfield, the SHAD 110 may begin to operate in the non-enhanced mode 230.This switch from enhanced to non-enhanced mode may be accomplished by nolonger orienting the inductive filed of the SHAD in response to aspecific TLI, such as returning the location and orientation of theinductive field to a default position. The SHAD 110 may then operate inthe non-enhanced mode 230 until the user decides to terminate use 236and end activation 238 or until the interrogation signal 204 receives aresponse signal 206 and begins enhanced mode operation as describedabove.

In the situation where an enhanced mode interrogation signal 220 yieldsa response 228 different from the immediately previous enhanced modeinterrogation signal 220, such as may happen after a user with a firstTHAD 120 moves the SHAD 110 away from the first THAD 120 having a firstTLI to his or her other ear associated with a second THAD 120 having asecond TLI, or to a different user having still a third THAD 120 andTLI, the SHAD 110 may operate in and between each of the differentenhanced modes as prompted by different THADs 120.

Upon receiving the signal designating a different TLI 232, the SHAD 110receives, retrieves, uploads, or otherwise accesses the different TLIinformation in order to configure the inductive field best suited forcoupling with the telecoil in the THAD 120, such as an inductive fieldparallel to the telecoil. As explained above with regard to Step 216,this processing may include manipulating the characteristics oforthogonal telecoils within the SHAD 110 to steer the inductive field toa desired location and orientation. Instructions for this manipulationmay be stored in either the SHAD 110, in the THAD 120, or jointly inboth depending upon the selected parameter set that is needed to conveythe TLI. Upon completing the step of providing the inductive field inresponse to a different TLI requirement 234, the SHAD 110 operates inthat enhanced mode until it switches between enhanced and non-enhancedmodes, or between enhanced modes, or until the user decides to terminateuse 210, 224, 236 and end activation 212, 226, 238.

Apparatus of the present invention may be embodied in various andalternative configurations. Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown anembodiment of a Steerable Hearing Aid Compatible Device (SHAD) in theform of a wireless communication device (WCD) 300. The WCD 300 is shownin the form of a Hearing Aid Compatible cellular telephone incommunication with a wireless network 302 through an antenna 304.Optionally, the wireless network may be in communication with a publicswitched telephone network PSTN 306, or other accessible networks. TheWCD 300 is a means for wireless communication as are all audio-equippeddevices configured to receive wireless signals and transmitdistinguishable sound waves, including: speakers, radios, televisions,walkie-talkies, receivers, audio equipped computers, audio-equippedBluetooth® devices, as well as satellite linked audio-equipped devices,and the like.

The illustrated WCD 300 includes a receiver 308, analog to digitalconverter 310, a controller 312 which may include a processor 314 andmemory 316, a digital to analog converter 318, an amplifier 320, aspeaker 322, a steerable telecoil 324, an RFID reader 326 and a switch328 all connected by a power and signal bus. It should be noted that thefigure illustrates the receive path only. Elements not critical to thepresent teaching that are well understood by those skilled in the art,such as the power supply, are not discussed.

In operation, a wireless signal is received by the receiver 308 via theantenna 304. In the case of an audio signal, a first optional converter310 converts an analog signal to a digital signal for processing by thecontroller 312. After the signal is processed, a second optionalconverter 318 converts the digital signal to an analog signal. Theanalog signal may be boosted by the amplifier 320 before being broadcastby the speaker 322 and or the steerable telecoil 324. The switch 328 maybe manual or electronic in nature, to allow the switching of theamplified audio signal to either, or both, inductive or speaker mode ofoperation. For example, the controller may instruct the steerabletelecoil to emit an inductive field to provide for the coupling of thesteerable telecoil with the telecoil of a THAD 120.

The illustrated WCD 300 further includes an RFID Reader 326 incommunication with controller 312 and stored memory 316. Further, thememory 316 is in communication with the micro-processor 314. The RFIDReader 326 may send interrogation signals and receive replies from RFIDtags, in a manner described herein and as understood by those skilled inthe art. More specifically, the RFID Reader 326 may interrogate an RFIDtag of a hearing assistive device and receive telecoil location andorientation information or TLI from the hearing assistive device.

The RFID Reader 326 may serve as a presence activated sensor, and meansfor initiating an inductive communication mode of the WCD 300. The WCD300 may also have a manual switch which may be activated by a user toactivate the inductive communication mode. Other means may be used toinitiate an induction mode including magnetic fields; a pre-determinedsound or signal frequency; any RFID device; other sensors which indicatethe presence of a hearing aid compatible device having a telecoil; andthe like.

With the TLI loaded onto or otherwise accessible to the microprocessor314, the illustrated WCD 300 is enabled to position the inductive fieldcreated by the WCD 300 according to the location and orientation of thehearing aid telecoil with which it communicates. That is, the WCD 300 isconfigured to operate in the enhanced inductive mode. By way of exampleand not limitation, a telephone call initiated on the PSTN 306 may betransmitted through the wireless network 302 and received by thereceiver 308 via the antenna 304. The signals that comprise thetelephone call may be output to a first converter 310 to be convertedfrom analog to digital form before being output to the micro-processor314. The micro-processor 314 processes the signal as known in the artand outputs the processed signal to the digital to analog converter 318which converts the signal to analog and outputs the analog signal to theamplifier 320 for amplification and output to the speaker 322 and or thesteerable telecoil 324. The controller 312, having accessed or receivedthe TLI, determines the best position of the inductive field to becreated by the steerable telecoil 324 and if in the enhanced inductivemode, instructs the steerable telecoil 324 to emit such inductive fieldat a described location and orientation as described in more detailbelow.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is shown a Steerable Hearing Aid CompatibleDevice (SHAD) in the form of an Enhanced Inductive Module (EIM) 400.This EIM 400 is shown in the form of an electronic device that may beattached to or made integral with a Wearable Audio-output Device (WAD)402 such as, but not limited to, ear buds, headphones, headsets, and thelike, in communication with an Electronic Transmission Device (ETD) 404through a wired or wireless interface 406. The ETD 404 is a means foraudio communication as are all devices configured to receive and/orstore and/or transmit signals to be emitted, received, or decoded assound, including: radios, televisions, walkie-talkies, telephones,receivers, computers, Bluetooth® devices, audio-file storage devices,audio-file player devices, electronic medium players, tape players,compact disc players, components thereof, and the like.

The illustrated ETD 404 includes a signal source such as a receiver or adatabase. For purposes of teaching and not limitation, this embodimentof an ETD 404 is shown with a database 410. The illustrated EIM 400includes an RFID Reader 412, a controller 414 having a stored memory 416and a micro-processor 418, an amplifier 420, and a steerable telecoil422 all connected by a power and signal bus (not shown). Elements notcritical to the present teaching and well understood by those skilled inthe art, such as the power supply, are not discussed. The RFID Reader412 provides a means for receiving the TLI of a THAD 120. Here, the RFIDReader 412 sends interrogation signals and receives replies from RFIDtags in a THAD 120.

In operation, an audio signal or audio file is retrieved, accessed,transmitted, or otherwise output from the signal source 410 via theinterface 406 to the micro-processor 418 of the controller 414 forprocessing. After the signal is processed and output, the audio signalmay be boosted by the amplifier 420 before being emitted by steerabletelecoil 422. It should be noted that a purpose of the controller 414 isto orient the magnetic field, although the figure does not show a directconnection therebetween.

Memory 416 may store the necessary programs to operate the steerabletelecoil as well as additional information related to the TLI that isprovided, as well as related programs required for the EIM 400 and/orthe WAD 402 and/or the ETD 404. Further, some embodiments of the EIM 400may allow for the retrieval of information related to the TLI, such asadjustments to the TLI based upon the particular style or make of theTHAD 120 to which it is related. Memory 416 may be read only (ROM) orrandom access (RAM), as the design needs require. With the TLI loadedonto or otherwise accessible to the micro-processor 418, the illustratedEIM 400 is enabled to provide an inductive field according to thelocation and orientation of the telecoil in the THAD 120 with which itcommunicates. That is, the EIM 400 is configured to operate in theenhanced mode.

In another aspect of the invention, FIGS. 5-7 show a steerable telecoilsystem that may be used to position an inductive field at a desiredlocation and orientation for coupling with a telecoil of a THAD 120. Asshown in FIG. 5, first 510, second 520, and third 530 telecoils may beprovided in an orthogonal relationship and manipulated as shown in FIGS.6 and 7 to allow the reorientation of an inductive field generated bythe telecoils.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a phase steerable telecoilsystem 600 which may include first 510, second 520 and third 530orthogonal positioned transmitting telecoils coupled with first 610,second 620 and third 630 phase control devices. An RFID Reader 602 isprovided for sending an interrogation signal and receiving responsesignals, and otherwise communicating with an RFID tag of a THAD 120 soas to provide information regarding the location and orientation of thetelecoil within the THAD 120. A controller 604, comprising an optionalprocessor 608 and optional memory 606, is communicatively coupled to theRFID Reader 602, the first 610, second 620, and third 630 phase controldevices, and the first 510, second 520 and third 530 transmittingtelecoils.

In operation, the controller 604 receives signaling from the RFID Reader602 including telecoil location information (TLI) from an RFID tag asdiscussed above. The controller 604 processes the TLI to determine adesired location and orientation for an inductive field such as aposition that is proximate and aligned with the telecoil of a THAD 120associated with the TLI. The controller 604 then generates and outputsfirst, second, and third phase signals at first 642, second 644, andthird 646 phase control outputs to the first 610, second 620 and third630 phase control devices, respectively, to generate an inductive fieldat the desired location and orientation in response to the telecoil ofthe THAD 120, to align the magnetic axis of a transmitting telecoil andthe magnetic axis of the THAD telecoil, and minimize the distancebetween them.

Thus, the phase control devices 610, 620, 630 receive an audio signal ataudio inputs 612, 622, 632, respectively, first, second, third phasecontrol signals from the controller 604 at first 614, second 624, third634 phase control inputs, and adjust the phase of the audio signalaccording to the first, second and third phase signals from thecontroller 604 to produce a first, second and third phase-shifted audiosignal at outputs 616, 626, 636, respectively to produce a compositefield having an orientation determined by the phase-shifted audio signaltransmitted by each of the telecoils.

In this configuration, the RFID reader 602 is again used to signal arequest for a change in the position of the inductive field. Thisrequest signal is communicated to the controller 604 which processes theTLI into first, second and third phase signals to generate a desiredinductive field. The composite magnetic field can be shifted indifferent directions by introducing different delays to the signalsexiting each of the telecoils.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of an amplitude steerable telecoilsystem 700 in which three telecoils are arranged in a 3-D orthogonalarray such that a resultant inductive field may be steered by varyingthe amplitude of the signal to each telecoil to create a compositeinductive field having the desired orientation. First 510, second 520and third 530 orthogonal transmitting telecoils may be coupled withfirst 710, second 720 and third 730 amplitude control devices. An RFIDReader 702 is provided for sending an interrogation signal and receivingresponse signals, and otherwise communicating with an RFID tag of a THAD120 so as to provide information regarding the location and orientationof the telecoil within the THAD 120. A controller 704 is communicativelycoupled to the RFID Reader 702 and the first 710, second 720, and third730 amplitude control devices and the first 510, second 520 and third530 transmitting telecoils. Controller 704 may include memory 706 andprocessor 708. The controller 704 has a first, second, and third gainsignal and is operative to receive TLI signaling from the RFID Reader702 indicating the location and orientation of a telecoil within adevice. The controller 704 processes the TLI signaling into a first gainsignal, a second gain signal, and a third gain signal and outputs thefirst gain signal at the first 742, second 744, and third 746 gainsignal outputs, respectively.

In operation, the controller 704 receives signaling from the RFID reader702 including information regarding the location and orientation of atelecoil of a device, from an RFID tag associated with the device asdiscussed above. The controller 704 processes the orientation signalingto produce a first, second, and third gain signals to the first 710,second 720 and third 730 amplitude control devices, respectively. Theamplitude control devices receive an audio signal and control theamplitude of the audio signal according to the first, second and thirdgain signals from the controller 704 to produce a first, second andthird amplitude adjusted audio signal to produce a composite fieldhaving an orientation determined by the amplitude adjusted audio signaltransmitted by each of the telecoils.

Each of the first 710, second 720, and third 730 amplifiers is operativeto receive a common audio signal at the respective audio signal input752, 754, 756 and receive a gain signal at the respective gain controlinput 762, 764, 766, amplify the audio signal based on the respectivegain signal, and output the amplified audio signal at the respectivesignal output 772, 774, 776.

Each of the first 510, second 520, and third 530 telecoils isoperatively connected to the signal output 772, 774, 776 of therespective amplifier such that a composite inductive field will becreated by the orthogonal telecoil array.

Turning to FIG. 8, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a THAD 120.In this embodiment, the THAD 120 is a hearing aid 800, having amicrophone 802 for receiving audio signals and a telecoil 804 forcoupling with an inductive field of a SHAD 110. A switch 806, eithermanual or electronic in nature, may be provided to allow the switchingbetween the microphone and the telecoil or both. Switch 806 may be undercontrol of controller 808 which further receives input from themicrophone or telecoil. The controller may include an optional analog todigital converter 810, a processor 812, and an optional digital toanalog converter 814. An amplifier 816 and a speaker 818 may also beprovided as known in the art, so that the hearing aid 800 receivessignals from the microphone 802 and/or telecoil 804, converts thesignals to digital at the analog to digital converter 810, processes thesignal in accordance with predetermined settings of the processor 812,converts the digital signal to analog with the digital to analogconverter 814, and provides a resultant audio signal at the speaker 818.

An RFID tag 820 is provided. The RFID tag 820 includes TLI stored in itsmemory. The TLI may include orientation and position information of thetelecoil 804. The RFID reader may be interrogated by an RFID reader of aSHAD 110 as discussed above and when interrogated transmits an RF signalcontaining the TLI. The TLI may then be used by the SHAD 110 to orientan inductive field for inductive coupling of the telecoil 804 of thehearing aid 800 with a telecoil of the SHAD 110. In an exemplaryembodiment, the TLI includes a first and second end point of thetelecoil in a predetermined reference system.

In another aspect of the invention, a system is provided that allows thedetermination of the relative position of a telecoil in a hearing aidworn by a user and an inductive field created by a SHAD 110 being usedby the user. In an exemplary embodiment, a first reference system iscreated with regard to the user and the reference system is applied to aTHAD 120, while a second reference system is created using ahypothetical standard based upon a standard hearing aid, a standardtelecoil location and orientation in the hearing aid, and a standarduser. A three dimensional orthogonal reference system having threeorthogonal axes is created corresponding to the standard position of thetelecoil in relation to the body of the hypothetical user. The referencesystem is then overlaid on a SHAD 110 and used to determine the relativelocation and orientation of the telecoil within a hearing aid inrelation to the reference system. A second reference system isestablished based upon a standard position of a SHAD 110 and coordinatedwith the first reference system. The coordinates of an actual locationand orientation of a telecoil within a THAD 120 may then be representedas coordinates in a reference system and stored on the THAD 120. Thesecoordinates may then be retrieved by the SHAD 110 and used to orient aninductive field to optimize the coupling between the inductive field andthe telecoil.

A reference system may be established for a THAD 120. In an exemplaryembodiment, a reference system is established in relation to a definedreference point on a hypothetical user, such as the location andorientation of a standard telecoil within a standard hearing aid inreference to a hypothetical user wearing the hearing aid. This referencepoint may be referred to as the Standard Telecoil Point (STP). Areference system may then be established in reference to the body of theuser in relation to this point, i.e., the origin of the reference systemmay be set to the STP, thereby defining an STP reference system withreference to the standard user. For example, an x axis may beestablished pointing inward toward the side of the users' head, a y-axispointing to the back of the users' head and a z-axis pointing upward.This reference system may then be overlaid on an individual hearing aid,i.e., the point on a particular hearing aid that would correspond to theSTP when inserted in the standard ear is established. For example, thehearing aid may be mounted in or on a jig representing a human ear canaland orthogonal sensors can be provided to locate the telecoil bytriangulation or other means for locating with regard to the x, y, and zaxes of the STP reference system. The actual location and orientation ofa telecoil within a hearing aid may then be measured from the STP pointon the hearing aid that, when the hearing aid is inserted into ahypothetical person, corresponds to the STP. Thus, coordinates withinthis reference system would establish the location and orientation ofthe actual telecoil within the hearing aid from STP. While the use ofthe term “point” is used herein, it is contemplated that the locationand orientation of the telecoil and locations provided on the referencesystems may include more than one point, and preferably include two ormore points, for instance points which represent a first end and secondend of a telecoil such as to provide for the position of the telecoil inthree dimensional space as the line between the two reference points.

A reference system may also be established on the SHAD 110, defining theorientation of the SHAD 110 with respect to a user. For example, adefault position of the phone may be established and an orthogonalreference system created based upon this default position. For example,a default position may be defined as the position of a cell phone whenheld in a typical usage position, such as an ear piece proximate to anear and mouth piece proximate to mouth position. This reference systempreferably mirrors the reference system of the hearing aid, with anx-axis pointing in to the user, a y-axis pointing to the back of theuser, and a z-axis pointing upward. In other words, the axes of the THAD120 reference system corresponds to those of the STP reference system,thus allowing the SHAD 110 to approximate the location and orientationof the STP when the phone is at a standard position.

The THAD 120 reference system and the SHAD 110 reference system may thusboth be coordinated to the STP reference system. For example, a defaultposition for the inductive field generated by the SHAD 110 could beestablished so as to produce a maximum coupling between the defaultmagnetic field and a telecoil located at the STP. This could be theposition of the inductive field when a SHAD 110 operates in non-enhancedmode. The position of a telecoil within a THAD 120 may be measured inreference to the overlaid STP reference system to determine x, y, and zcoordinates for the telecoil. Given these coordinates, the SHAD 110 canapproximate the location and orientation of the telecoil when worn bythe user, and can determine a desired location and orientation for aninductive field for coupling with the telecoil. For example, at the timeof manufacture the position of a telecoil within a hearing aid could bemeasured from the point on the hearing aid that would correspond to theSTP. This information can then be stored on an RFID tag within thehearing aid and later retrieved by a SHAD 110 to approximate thelocation and orientation of the telecoil with respect to the SHAD 110.The SHAD 110 could then orient an inductive coupling according to theactual location and orientation.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of a user 900 having a right 902 and left 904ear in which right 910 and left 912 hearing aids (shown enlarged) areworn, respectively. A predetermined Standard Telecoil Position 918, 920is shown at the right 902 and left 904 ears, respectively, and eachrepresents the hypothetical location and orientation of a standardtelecoil when a standard hearing aid containing the telecoil is worn bya standard user.

A right STP reference system (RSTPS) 922 is shown having an origin atthe STP 918 of the right ear 902 and defining a coordinate system havingx, y, and z orthogonal axes. As shown, an x-axis points horizontallyinward toward the side of the user's head, a y-axis points horizontallytoward the rear of the users' head, and a z-axis points upwardly. Asdiscussed above, the STP 918 represents a predefined point where atelecoil of a hypothetical hearing aid is located and oriented when wornby a hypothetical person.

Likewise, a left STP reference system (LSTPS) 932 is shown having anorigin at the left STP 920 of the left ear and defining a coordinatesystem having x, y, and z orthogonal axes, with the x-axis pointinghorizontally inward toward the side of the user's head, the y-axis,pointing horizontally toward the front of the users' head, and thez-axis pointing upwardly.

A THAD Reference System (TRS) is shown provided on each of the right 910and left 912 hearing aids. On the right hearing aid 910, a Right HearingAid Standard Telecoil Position (RHASTP) 942 is shown which representsthe location of the hearing aid 910 that corresponds with the RSTP 918when the right hearing aid is worn by the hypothetical user. Thisreference point may be determined by the hearing aid manufacturer. Thecorresponding position of the hypothetical telecoil is shown by telecoil946. A Right THAD Reference System (RTRS) 944 is thus created on theright hearing aid 910, having the RHASTP 942 as the origin, which whenthe right hearing aid 910 is worn by the user 900 will correspond to theRSTP 918. The RTRS 944 has three orthogonal axes, x, y, and z whichcorrespond to the axes of the RSTPS reference system 922. Thus, the RTRS944 represents an overlay of the STP reference system 922 atop thehearing aid 910 as if the hearing aid 910 were positioned in the ear.

Likewise, a TRS is provided on the left hearing aid 912. A Left HearingAid Standard Telecoil Position (LHASTP) 952 is determined whichrepresents the location on the left hearing aid 912 that will correspondwith the LSTP 920 when the left hearing aid 912 is worn by the user 900.A left THAD Reference System (LTRS) 954 is thus created on the lefthearing aid 912, having the LHASTP 952 as the origin. The LTRS 954 hasthree orthogonal axes, x, y, and z, which correspond to the axes of theLSTP reference system 932. Thus, the LTRS 954 represents an overlay ofthe LSTP reference system 932 atop the left hearing aid 912 as thehearing aid 912 would be positioned in the left ear 904. Thus, they-axis on the left hearing aid 912 points in the opposite direction ofthe y-axis on the right hearing aid 910. This allows the SHAD referencesystem 962 to stay the same whether the THAD 120 is being used with aright ear 902 or left ear 904.

A SHAD, shown as a cell phone 930 has a SHAD reference system (SRS) 962.The SRS defined on the SHAD may be an orthogonal reference system, suchthat when the SHAD is held in a standard position, such as an ear pieceproximate to the ear and mouthpiece proximate to the mouth, the x-axispoints inward toward the side of the user's head, the y-axis to the backof the users' head, and the z-axis upward. Thus the axes of the SRS 962align with the axes of the RSTPS 922 and LSTPS 932 when the cell phone930 is held in the standard position at the right or left ear 902, 904,and align with the RTRS 944 when the right hearing aid 910 is worn by auser and the cell phone 930 is held in a standard position by the userat the right ear, and align with the axes of the LTRS 954 when held at astandard position at the left ear 904. With brief reference now to FIG.10, which shows a SHAD reference system 962 in a perspective view, adefault location 970 of an inductive field may be established at alocation that is proximate to and aligned with the left and right STP918, 920 when held in the left and right standard positionsrespectively. With the alignment of the SRS 962 and the RTRS 944, theposition of the right STP 918 to the cell phone may be determined andthus, the relative position of the telecoil within a hearing aid worn bya user with respect to the cell phone may be determined by referencingthe distance of the telecoil from the RSTP 918 (or LSTP 920) along theRTRS 944.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9, a first telecoil 990is actually located within the right hearing aid 910 and has end pointsA and B within the RTRS 944. Thus, the location of both of these pointscan be determined in reference to the RTRS 944 as the distance alongeach axis from the RHASTP 942. These two points can then be used todetermine the three dimensional location of the telecoil 990. The SHADcan then use these dimensions to determine the optimal location andorientation of an inductive field and move the inductive field from adefault position 970 to a desired position 972.

An RFID tag 980, 982 may be provided on either or both of the right 910and left 912 hearing aids respectively to store the coordinates of thetelecoil 990, 992 in the reference system. This information may then beretrieved, such as by an RFID reader (not shown) on the SHAD and used todetermine the desired location and orientation of an inductive field.

The operation of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-11 will bedescribed. As shown in FIG. 9, a cell phone 930 may be placed proximatea user's 900 right ear 902 in a standard orientation and an inductivecommunication mode be initiated. The inductive mode may be initiatedautomatically, such as by a proximity or other sensor, or manually suchas by the user turning a switch (not shown) on the device. With theinduction mode initiated, an RFID reader (not shown) of the cell phone930 broadcasts an interrogation signal to the RFID tag 980 on the righthearing aid 910 and receives a response from the RFID tag 980 providingthe coordinates A and B of the telecoil in the RHASTP 942. A controller(not shown) within the cell phone 930 receives the coordinates, or TLI,and reorients an inductive field from a default position 970 to adesired position 972 which is proximate to and aligned with the telecoil990. The SHAD thus enters the enhanced induction mode providing theinductive field 972 at the desired location and orientation. Thus, theinductive field is reoriented from the default position to the desiredposition. The SHAD may continue to periodically send an interrogationsignal to the RFID tag 980 and determine if it receives a response fromthe same RFID tag 980, no signal, or a response from a new RFID tag,such as left RFID tag 982 in left hearing aid 912.

As shown in FIG. 11 if the user switches the cell phone 930 to the leftear 904 the interrogation signal will receive a response from the leftRFID tag 982 of the left hearing aid 912. The coordinates of thetelecoil 992 of the left hearing aid 912 are stored on left RFID tag 982so that when the left RFID tag 982 is interrogated, it is activated andsends the stored coordinates to the RFID reader. Thus, the left RFID tag982 provides the TLI data associated with the left hearing aid 912 tothe cell phone 930 and the controller within the SHAD determines adesired location and orientation of the inductive field 1102 withrespect to telecoil 992. The cell phone 930 will then operate in asecond enhanced mode and periodically send an interrogation signal anddetermine if the user wants to end enhanced mode or inductive mode andterminate as discussed above. As shown in FIG. 11, if the cell phone 930did not reorient the inductive field with relation to the cell phone930, the inductive field would be at a location 996 of the left hearingaid 912, thus providing an example of why the y-axis of the LSPTS isinverted from the y-axis of the RSPTS.

In various embodiments the optional memory (i.e., 606, 706) may alsostore any of the information associated with the location or orientationof a telecoil, or any of the information associated with a referencesystem(s), or any of the information associated with the couplingdevices, such as but not limited to the TLI, STP, RHASTP, LHASTP, andany of the inductive field positions. One reason for storing thisinformation is so that an HCAD may be preprogrammed by a manufacturer,supplier, or audiologist; another reason is so that HCAD performancecharacteristics may be selectively available by one or more users.

The law does not require and it is economically prohibitive toillustrate and teach every possible embodiment of the present invention.Hence, the above-described embodiments are merely exemplaryillustrations of implementations set for forth a clear understanding ofthe principles of the invention. Many variations or combinations may bemade to the above-described embodiments without departing form the scopeof the claims. All such variations of combinations are included hereinby the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a steerableinductor configured to provide an inductive field to transmit a signal;a processor; and a computer-readable storage medium comprisinginstructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processorto perform operations comprising: controlling, based on telecoillocation information, the steerable inductor to provide a steeredinductive field to transmit an input signal, wherein the telecoillocation information includes a location of a telecoil in a hearingdevice.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the steerableinductor includes a plurality of phase-control sub-devices and each ofthe plurality of phase-control sub-devices is configured to adjust aphase of the input signal to render a phase-adjusted signal.
 3. Theelectronic device of claim 2, wherein controlling the steerable inductorcomprises: adjusting, by each of the plurality of phase-controlsub-devices, a phase of the input signal to render a respective one of aplurality of phase-adjusted signals, wherein an amount by which toadjust the phase is determined based on the telecoil locationinformation; and providing the steered inductive field using theplurality of phase-adjusted signals.
 4. The electronic device of claim3, the steerable inductor further comprising a plurality of orthogonaltelecoils in communication with the respective ones of the plurality ofphase-control devices and wherein transmitting the plurality ofphase-adjusted signals by respective ones of the plurality of orthogonaltelecoils to provides the steered inductive field.
 5. The electronicdevice of claim 4, wherein the steered inductive field is steered basedon the phases of the plurality of phase-adjusted signals.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the steerable inductor includes aplurality of amplifiers each of the plurality of amplifiers isconfigured to adjust an amplitude of the input signal to render anamplitude-adjusted signal.
 7. The electronic device of claim 6, whereincontrolling the steerable inductor comprises: adjusting, by each of theplurality of amplifiers, the amplitude of the input signal to render arespective one of a plurality of amplitude-adjusted signals, wherein anamount by which to adjust the amplitude is determined based on thetelecoil location information; and providing the steered inductive fieldusing the plurality of amplitude-adjusted signals.
 8. The electronicdevice of claim 7, the steerable inductor further comprising a pluralityof orthogonal telecoils in communication with respective ones of theplurality of amplifiers and wherein transmitting the plurality ofamplitude-adjusted signals by respective ones of the plurality oforthogonal telecoils provides the steered inductive field.
 9. Theelectronic device of claim 8, wherein the steered inductive field issteered based on amplitudes of the plurality of amplitude-adjustedsignals.
 10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising areader device configured to request and receive the telecoil locationinformation.
 11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the telecoillocation information includes an orientation of the telecoil.
 12. Theelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a signal source that isconfigured to output the input signal, wherein the input signal is anaudio signal.
 13. A computer-readable storage device comprisinginstructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor toperform operations comprising: controlling, based on telecoil locationinformation, a steerable inductor to provide a steered inductive fieldto transmit an input signal, wherein the telecoil location informationincludes a location of a telecoil in a hearing device.
 14. Thecomputer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein controlling thesteerable inductor comprises determining, based on the telecoil locationinformation, a plurality of amounts by which to adjust a phase of theinput signal.
 15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14,wherein controlling the steerable inductor comprises: adjusting thephase of the input signal using a respective one of the plurality ofamounts to render a respective one of a plurality of phase-adjustedsignals; and providing the steered inductive field using the pluralityof phase-adjusted signals.
 16. The computer-readable storage device ofclaim 13, wherein controlling the steerable inductor comprisesdetermining, based on the telecoil location information, a plurality ofamounts by which to adjust an amplification of the input signal.
 17. Thecomputer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein controlling thesteerable inductor comprises: adjusting an amplitude of the input signalusing a respective one of the plurality of amounts to render arespective one of a plurality of amplitude-adjusted signals; andproviding the steered inductive field using the plurality ofamplitude-adjusted signals.
 18. A method, comprising: generating, by anelectronic transmission device, a steered inductive field to transmit aninput signal, wherein the steered inductive field is generated based ontelecoil location information, wherein the telecoil location informationincludes a location of a telecoil in a hearing device, whereingenerating the steered inductive field comprises: determining, based onthe telecoil location information, a plurality of adjustments comprisingat least one of: a phase adjustment; and an amplitude adjustment;generating a plurality of adjusted signals based on the input signal andthe plurality of adjustments; and generating the steered inductive fieldbased on the plurality of adjusted signals.
 19. The method of claim 18,further comprising sending an interrogation signal and receiving thetelecoil location information in response to sending the interrogationsignal.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the telecoil locationinformation includes an orientation of the telecoil.